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Engineering

Microstructural Evolution of Steel During Friction Stir Welding

Quick fact

During friction stir welding of steel, the stirring action produces temperatures that reach 80–90% of the melting point but never melt the material, resulting in an ultra-fine grain structure in the weld nugget that can be up to 10 times finer than the original steel.

Why this is interesting

Imagine joining two pieces of steel without ever melting them—just by stirring them together. How can that dramatic a change in how the metal is put together completely rewrite its internal architecture?